Charles e



Patented Jan. 20, 1891.

A b J TM m d J Zw G. E. RAND.

(No Model.)

01 CAN.

CIIARL 1S E. RAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAY MANY- liACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

O l L CA N SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,127, dated January 20, 1891.

Application filed August 26, 1890. Serial No. 363,126. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. RAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Cans, of which the following is a specification. I

The present invention relates to that class of oil-cans known as feeders; and its object is to provide a feeder of the variety commonly used on locomotives with a valve so constructed and arranged that after the desired quantity of oil has been permitted to escape communication between the body and spout can be cut off, whereupon the discharge of oil will instantly cease, the oil that is in the spout at the time the cut-off takes place being confined by atmospheric pressure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a spout of such construction that in cold weather the oil will not congeal in the spout, and thereby retard its flow as it does in feed ers having long spouts of the customary construction.

To this end the invention consists in certain features of novelty that are particularly pointed out in the claims hereinafter, a feeder embodying it being first fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and of which- Figure l is a sectional elevation of said feeder, the can proper being shown in section and the valve mechanism in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion thereof on the line i 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the can on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, the valve mechanism being shown in plan from the underside. Fig. 'l-

a sectional elevation showing in detail the manner of connecting the valve with its stem.

A represents the body of the can, having a top portion a of frusto conical shape, to the apex of which the spout B is secured. Within the bottom portion of the spout is secured a short metallic tube C, which projects downward into the can, its lower extremity being planed off to form a seat for a valve D. If desired, the spout itself may be continued downward into the can and have its lower extremity planed off for forming the valveseat; but the construction shown is preferable, because the metal of which the spout is usually formed is too thin to afford an adequate seat, while the tube C maybe made of metal thick enough to fill all requirements. Furthermore, this section of heavy tubing at this point materially strengthens the joint between the body and spout.

In cold weather engineers keep their feeders in warm places in order to keep the oil in a sufficiently fluid state to flow freely. \Vhcn the feeder is exposed to the cold, the large quantity of oil in the body of the can will remain in this state for a considerable length of time; but when the oil enters the spout (as customarily constructed) it soon becomes chilled and stiff, because it is at most only a small quantity, and, moreover, has a comparatively great superficial area exposed to the cold. With all feeders this chilling of the oil in the spout is an annoyance; but it is a greater annoyance if the spout be valved than if it is not. This is because, if it is not valved, when the feeder is returned from inverted to upright position the oil will flow from the spout back into the can,leavingthe spout empty, so that each time the feeder is inverted the spout is refilled with warm fluid oil from the body of the can, and thus the spout is kept tolerably clear; butif the spout is valved, when the oil once enters it it is not again permitted to flow back into the can, ordinarily. Hence it is very desirable to prevent it from being chilled while in the spout. To this end the spout is ineased in a jacket 13 of such diameter that a dead-air space I) is formed between then1,the upper and lower ends of the jacket being secured air tight to the spout and can, respectively. This j ackct serves also to strengthen the spout, which is made of small diaineterin order that the best results may be produced by the valve.

The valve 1) situated opposite the valveseat with its face presented upward, and is secured to the valve-stem E loosely so as to be capable of a limited independent move ment. The valve-stem consists of a lever ful crumed to the interior of the can and is normally held in its uppermost position, with 5 end to the free end of the valve-stem, whence it passes upward through a sleeve J, extending through and secured to the top of the can, and is provided at its upper end with a pushbutton j, situated close to the handle K, so

[ that the operator may easily reach it with the finger or thumb of the hand that grasps the handle. The upper portion of the push-rod is flattened on one side so as to permit air to enter the can through the sleeve J when said I rod is depressed; but its lower portion is round and fits the sleeve snugly, so as to prevent the admission of air while it is in its upper or normal position, and the valve seated.

The fulcrumed end of the valve-stem is of .20 T shape, the extremities of its cross-headt being journaled in sheet-metal straps or housings L, secured to the inside of the conical top a. The spring II is of approximately V shape, and bears at its apex v against the under side of the valve-stem, whence its two branches, extending upward across the valvestem, (one on each side of it,-) are coiled several times around the cross-head i and have their-ends secured to the inside of the top a.

0 The valve-stem is fulcrumed diametrically opposite the handle K, whence it extends across the can toward said handle, terminating at its free end beneath the push-button j. For the sake ofconvenience in manufacturing, it is desirable that all of the valve mechanism'be secured to the top of the can. To do so and meet all the requirements, the valve-stem must be fulcrumed some distance below the valve-seat, and in addition its free 4 end must be dropped considerably below its fulcrum. Furthermore, the valve-seat being neart-he summit of the can, a portion of the valve-stem must extend upward above said fulcrum and nearly to the valve-seat in order to enable the proper attachment of the valve.

This portion is shown in the drawings as consisting of a short:- arm or stud projecting laterally from the main portion of the valvestem; but it is obvious that instead of this stud the main portion of the stem may be provided with an upward bend that would answer every purpose. The valve is connected to the stem by means of a pair of perforated ears (Z, that project downward and receive between them a flattened portion 6,

which has its upper edge rounded off, as shown at e, and is provided with a perforation 6', through which and the perforations of the cars (l passes a pivot-pin o. The perforation e is larger than the cross-section of medium of the piyot-pin. This permits the valve to have a motion about its pivot and also a rocking or rolling motion upon the valve-stem, during which latter-there is alost motion between the pivot-pin and the valvestem. The curvature of the portion e is such that the portions e" constitute stops for limiting the movement of the valve relatively to the stem.

Having thus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat situated at the inner end of the spout, of a valve having its face presented upward, a valvestei'n to which said valve is pivoted having stops for limiting the oscillation of said valve, and a spring and push-rod for operating the valve, substantially as set forth.

2. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat presented downward, of the valve-stem, a valve resting loosely upon said stem and having its face presented upward, a loose connection between the valve and stem, stops carried bythe stem for limiting the oscillation of the valve, and a spring and push-rod, substantially as set forth.

3. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat presented downward, of the valve-stem having an upwardly-projecting arm, a valve resting loosely upon said arm and having its face presented upward, a loose joint between said arm and valve, said arm carrying stops for limiting the oscillation of the valve, a spring for bold ing said valve seated, and a push-rod for unseating said valve, substantially as set forth.

4. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat presented downward, of the valve-stem. a valve having a rolling bearing thereon and having its face presented upward, stops for limiting the independent movement of the valve, and a spring and push-rod, substantially as set forth.

5. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spent, and the valve-seat presented downward, of the valve-stem, a valve loosely pivoted thereto face upward and having a rolling bearing thereon, stops for limiting the independent movement of said valve, and means for seating and unseating it, substantially as set forth.

6. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat presented downward, of a valve-stem, a valve loosely connected face upward thereto, so as to be ca pable of sliding longitudinally thereon, stops for limiting the independent movement of the valve, and means for seating and unseating said valve, substantially as set forth.

7. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and a valveseat presented downward into the body of the feeder, of the valve-stem, an upwardly-presented valve connected with said stem and having vertical and longitudinal movement independent thereof, stops for limiting the longitudinal movement of said valve, said stops being independent of the can and spout, and means, substantially as described, for seating and unseating said valve, substantially as set forth.

8. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat situated at the inner end of the spout and presented downward, of a valve situated opposite said seat with its face presented upward, a springactuated valve-stem having the curved portion 6' bearing directly against the back of the valve, loose connections between the valve and stem, the stops 6", for limiting the movement of the former relatively to the latter, and a push-rod engaging the valve-stem, substantially as set forth.

9. In a feeder, the combination, with the body, the spout, and the valve-seat presented in ward, of the valve-stein consisting of a lever having at one of its ends a cross-head t, fulcrumed to the can, a valve situated opposite said seat and connected to the valve-stem so as to have a limited lost motion, and a spring and push-rod for actuating said ste1n,substantially as set forth.

CHARLES E. RAND.

\Vitnesses:

LAWRENCE PROUDFOOT, RICHARD S. FAY. 

